


Heart of Gold

by AlexHunt



Series: Open Heart — Bryce Lahela x Olivia Hadley [6]
Category: Choices - Fandom, Open Heart (Visual Novels)
Genre: Acts of Kindness, F/M, Fluff, Hawaiian Character, Kindness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:54:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23832700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexHunt/pseuds/AlexHunt
Summary: For the prompt: SuperstitionBryce surprises Olivia with his superstition.
Relationships: Bryce Lahela/Main Character (Open Heart), Bryce Lahela/Olivia Hadley, Bryce Lahela/Original Character(s), Bryce Lahela/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Open Heart — Bryce Lahela x Olivia Hadley [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1804726
Kudos: 6





	Heart of Gold

☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

“Ginger, giant, giraffe!” Olivia exclaimed heatedly, as they walked back home from their dinner date. “It’s definitely ‘jif’!”

“No, Jif is a peanut butter. A gif,” he emphasized the hard g. “Is an image file.”

“It’s primary phonics,” Olivia argued, not letting him win this. “G followed by e, i, y is soft! Jif!”

“You’re adorable,” Bryce laughed, his eyes softening as he looked at her. “Every rule has an exception and it’s gif, like gifted, giving…girlfriend.” 

The last word caught Olivia off guard, her voice stuttering as she attempted to continue with her argument. They had never stopped to label what this was or wasn’t.

“Please,” a woman sitting on the sidewalk begged, holding out a jar. 

Olivia was pulled from her thoughts by the weary sound of her voice. She hated walking by her, but as a doctor, she knew many of these people used what money they collected to buy drugs and often ended up at the hospital. She tried to shake her thoughts away as she turned back to Bryce. 

“Do you mind if we make a quick detour?” Bryce questioned, his joyous expression falling slightly.

“Of course,” Olivia agreed, a little concerned about the sudden change in his demeanor. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah…” He turned momentarily behind them. “There’s just something I have to do.”

“Whatever you need!” Olivia followed Bryce as he moved down the street and entered the corner market. 

“You could have just said you needed to go grocery shopping,” Olivia teased, trying to understand the sudden shift in his behavior. 

“It’s not for me,” Bryce responded cryptically as he gathered a basket of assorted foods and wellness items. 

“Are you sure everything’s okay?” Olivia asked, her hand caressing his back supportively.

“Growing up in Hawaii, there were many superstitions, one of them was that if you see an old woman on the side of a road you must offer her food and drink,” Bryce began to explain. “It’s said to be the goddess Pele in disguise.”

“Oh!” Olivia expressed in surprise. She had never thought of him as being superstitious.

He turned to her, his lips widening, his white teeth showing as his smile returned. “You have questions; I can tell.”

“It’s just… I didn’t expect you to be superstitious. You’re a doctor. A scientist. I would think you would be led by facts,” Olivia stated, as she tried to reconcile this new information. “It’s just not something I expected from you, that’s all.”

Bryce gathered a few final things and paid for the large bag full of food and supplies he had collected. “It’s not that I believe in the superstition, but more what it represents. It’s about being respectful, thoughtful, and putting a little kindness into the world.” 

He offered her his hand as they made their way back to the woman they had passed earlier. 

Bryce knelt down and placed the bag of food and water at the homeless woman’s feet. “For you.”

Her eyes lit up, a smile cracking through the deep creases and wrinkles on her face from the years of hardship she may have suffered. She reached out, clasping both of her hands around his. “Thank you! Bless you, child!” 

Bryce nodded as the hungry woman dropped his hand and moved to open the bag in search of food. “Mālama pono.” 

“What does that mean?” Olivia wondered as they left her to her much needed dinner.

“Take care or be well,” he responded. He turned back, taking one last look at the woman. 

“Who knew that party boy Bryce Lahela had a heart of gold.” Olivia leaned into him, brushing a soft kiss on his cheek. “Oh, that’s right, I did!”

He turned his face, capturing her lips softly. “Thank you for indulging me in this.”

“You’re a good man, Bryce,” Olivia acknowledged proudly. “And an even better person.”

Bryce wrapped his arm warmly around her as they continued on their way.


End file.
